Information Literacy and the Evolving MBA Degree

MBA program curriculums have been the target of criticism since the financial scandals of the early 2000s, with the main focus being that many programs sacrificed the teaching of useful, real world skills in favor of impractical scientific research, while also neglecting areas such as ethics and social responsibility. The financial collapse prompted many MBA programs to implement reforms which include adding experiential learning programs among other changes. These reforms provide opportunities for librarians to introduce or increase information literacy components in the programs. The current state of MBA information literacy practices is discussed, with several initiatives highlighted and some new approaches suggested.     

How to spot Ugly Black Ducklings: the next competitive frontiers in scholarly publishing

This paper reviews events of SSP 2013 and AAUP 2013 within the context of Nassim Nicholas Taleb's notions of Black Swans (unexpected game changers) to anticipate the formation of competitive arenas (i.e. new models and revenue streams) for scholarly communications. It examines Tim O'Reilly's keynote address at SSP 2013, the advice of Michael Schrage from the opening Plenary at AAUP 2013, and Tim Sullivan's discussion of Harvard Business Publication's use of a topical blog network as new publishing platform to access global digital communications networks. The essay extrapolates from the case studies presented to overlay the strategies of successful practitioner presses and the advice of sought‐after business consultants on the work of academic houses, to imagine the next competitive frontier(s) in scholarly publishing.     

Dialogic voices in talk about drinking and pregnancy

Alcohol use during pregnancy poses a significant risk of fetal alcohol syndrome. This study presents the interpretive findings of the formative research phase of a funded grant to develop a community‐based public health media campaign on the topic of drinking during pregnancy. In the initial wave of data collection, 50 rural women were recruited from four Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) clinics in southeastern Iowa to participate in semi‐structured interviews. In the second wave, 10 additional WIC clients were interviewed for member‐checking purposes. Findings revealed two competing discourses that organized these women's attitudes, beliefs, and behaviors surrounding drinking and pregnancy: the discourse of individualism and the discourse of responsible motherhood. These two discourses offer opposing normative guidelines for talk among their close female relatives and friends. The implications of these findings for designing a community‐based media campaign are discussed.     

Identity Challenges in Field Research: Three Stories

We tell of our struggles in completing ethnographic field research by showing the hurdles and difficult interactions we faced on our different projects. We interpret the obstacles as threats to our identities and show how we responded to them. Our conclusion shows how we preserved the independence of our interpretations while completing the data collection and interpretation.     

Trends in Public Library Design from the 19th to the 21st Centuries

In the early 19th century, public libraries in America tended toward grand appearances befitting seriousness of purpose. Library design changed gradually throughout the 20th and 21st centuries, and more dramatically with automation and new technology. True to its roots, the public library continues to maintain areas for quiet, individual study. But, in addition, today’s library has become a cultural center in the community, offering art galleries, auditoriums, meeting rooms, spaces for collaborative work, digital information and instruction, and even cafés. Change is inevitable, as innovations in library design and patron use illustrate. Yet, from the earliest libraries to modern times, one overarching constant defines their purpose: libraries inspire.     

Cataloging on Receipt for Monographs: Merging Cataloging and Acquisitions Functions at UCLA

Institutions have sought to improve technical services workflows by merging some acquisitions and cataloging functions in different ways and with varying results. Those institutions’ experiences with the merging process contrast with the process implemented at UCLA. At UCLA a process of cataloging on receipt was planned and implemented in the Print Acquisitions Department, in cooperation with the Cataloging & Metadata Center. The process resulted in significantly faster delivery of print books from receipt to shelf for materials not batch packed for remote storage.     

Adapting an Embedded Model of Librarianship,College by College

Librarians are increasingly moving out of the library and into the wider university setting as patrons spend more time seeking information online and less time visiting the library. The move to embed librarians in colleges, departments, or customer groups has been going on for some time but has recently received more attention as libraries work to find new ways to reach patrons that no longer need to come to the physical library. Few universities have attempted to embed all their librarians. This case study describes how one group of health sciences librarians dispersed its professional staff throughout its campuses and medical centers.